The One with the Duck

On Christmas morning when a young child opens there big presents from Santa Clause, sometimes they just like the giant box their bicycle or toy kitchen came in. That is the feeling my family got from my sister and I when we were more excited about the ducks at the bus stop than the world of magic around us.

Disney provides an excellent source of reliable transportation to and from the parks and resorts on their grounds. Not to mention the adorable wild life that roams free around the area. For some reason, at every bus stop we waited at there were ducks that like to hang out and wait with us as if Donald sent them himself to keep us company. We would feed them crackers and take pictures while not so anxiously awaiting the bus to Animal Kingdom—where giraffes and elephants are but an arm’s length away. The ducks just enthralled our attention and we couldn’t get enough. “Oh look Jessie! That one just ruffled his feathers. Let’s call him Charlie,” my sister exclaimed.

Once we got to the parks, the rides, the shows and parades reclaimed our attention to our family’s enjoyment. The other more exotic birds were just as exciting to us with their colorful wings and one leg stands; and the non-winged creatures were fun too. A safari took us through a replica of an African wildlife reserve and we got to see zebras, antelope and lions that my sister insisted were Simba and Nala themselves. As the night came to an end, we found ourselves waiting in line for the night time spectacular Fantasmic—a fireworks show infused with water, fire and lasers.
Just like all other attraction in Disney the line for this show was at least two hours long. Thankfully, the wait was well worth it. As you enter the giant stadium, we were escorted to the front row. In front of us was just a railing and then a large man-made lake topped with a realistic mountain. All of us were amazed by the unbelievable set-up we were looking at. Around the corner of the mountain, my sister and I caught a glimpse of the secret backstage action when out of nowhere, a duck floated by. “Jessie! Jessie, it’s a ducky!” my sister screamed.

As the sun was setting over the magnificent mountain range in front of us, we were yet again enchanted by a duck. We decided to name this little guy Ferdinand. He swam back and forth in the water, dipping under every so often and flittering his feathers. Soon the lights dimmed, Mickey appeared and the real show was about to begin. Still, out of the corner of our eyes, we could still see Ferdinand swimming around the edge of the mountain. Water shot up in sheet like forms and videos were projected onto them at Mickey’s command. Then the all powerful mouse decided to summon some fire. The entire lake, just 20 feet in front of us, became engulfed in flames.

“Ooh, aah,” the audience sighed in amazement. My sister’s eyes lit up with joy and the reflection of the flames. And then we remembered—Ferdinand. “Oh my God. Where did Ferdinand go?” I asked my sister. “He was just right there,” she assured me. But he wasn’t there anymore. As the flames died down, there was nothing left but rippling water and no sign of our duck friend. We don’t know if Ferdinand made it out safely and we never will; but we will always remember the night we saw a duck burn to a crisp at Disney World.